Udupi Tourism (2019) - Karnataka > Top Places, Travel Guide

Udupi Tourism

Most famous for its South Indian restaurants all over the country, Udupi is a coastal town with carefully carved temples, architecturally splendid buildings, laidback beaches and unexplored forests.

Surrounded by the Arabian Sea on one side and the Western ghats on the other, this pilgrim centre is the most important city in Karnataka after Bangalore and Mangalore. Featuring beautifully styled temples showcasing different types of architecture along with natural beauty in the form of forests, hillocks and unending beaches, this is a tourist hotspot. Being a pilgrim centre, most important attractions here are temples. The allure of the serene beaches makes them major tourist spots.

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Places to Visit In Udupi

St. Mary's Island

Krishna Temple

Malpe Beach

Kaup Beach

Manipal

Pajaka

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Hotels in Udupi

Top Hotels in Udupi

White Lotus Hotel

INR 2,100 /night onwards
The Ocean Pearl, Udupi

INR 2,100 /night onwards
Hotel Tranquil Manipal

INR 2,000 /night onwards

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Karnataka's Cultural Capital

Situated 60 km. from Mangalore, Udupi is a cultural hotspot in the state of Karnataka. Famous for its culture and cuisine, Udupi is slowly, but steadily growing as a major commercial hub in Karnataka as well. This city is extremely famous for its simple vegetarian cuisine, which is provided free of cost in places like the Krishna Temple. This is not all. Apart from being a cultural hotspot, Udupi is also a refreshing coastal retreat, with scores of beaches eager to mesmerise you with their distinctive beauty. So next time you think for a cultural as well as a natural retreat for the vacations, do visit Udupi.

Mythology

The beautiful pilgrim city of Udupi along the Arabian Sea has many interesting legends intertwined with its history. It is believed that Chandra, the moon god, received redemption for his sins from Lord Shiva after doing penance here, which led to the naming of the city as Udupi. Udu essentially means star, and pa means leader - hence referring to the god of the stars or God Chandra. There are also many lores surrounding the city’s most popular attraction, the Krishna Temple. According to the most famous legend, the great saint Sri Madhvacharya was meditating on the coast when he saw a ship about to capsize. He guided the ship to safety away from the waters, and in return, the grateful sailors offered him anything he wished from the ship as a gift. The sage asked for gopichandana, or clay, which unbeknownst to the sailors, covered a majestic statue of Lord Krishna that they had been transporting from Dwaraka, which is Lord Krishna’s birthplace. Sri Madhvacharya unearthed the statue and placed it in its current place of worship in the temple.

Architecture

Udupi is extremely famous for its religious architecture devoted to the Gods and saints of the Hindu religion. The Krishna temple includes, in addition to its majestic statue of Lord Krishna, beautiful chariot structures or rathas. All deities in the temple face the west, and a unique feature associated with them is that they are worshipped through windows. These windows are plated with silver and have nine holes - also known as Navagraha kindi. Next to the Krishna Temple lies the Udupi Anantheshwara temple, which is believed to be over a 1000 years old. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The city also has the Tulu Ashta Mathas, which are Hindu monasteries set up by the saint Sri Madhvacharya. These group of 8 monasteries preach the Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy.

Restaurants and Local Food in Udupi

Udupi is almost synonymous to Udupi restaurants popular all over the world and the traditional Udupi cuisine which gives the cuisine of Karnataka a distinct flavor and personality of its own. Hence, while in Udupi, one must experience the local Udupi cuisine which is rich in flavors, ingredients and variety. The popular items of the platter here are Upma, a wide variety of dosas, Bisi bele bath (a spicy preparation of rice), Idlis, Rasam, Goli baje, Payasa, Kheer, Pelakai Halwa ( Jackfruit Halwa) and countless more.

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Itinerary

Day 1- You can go to the main market for a stroll, especially in places like Ratha Beedi, where you can buy precious curios and souvenirs and taste the delectable local cuisines.
Day 2- You should begin ideally with the Udupi Krishna Temple. Then, you can proceed to the famous Coin Museum, which houses an exquisite collection in the coins, from ancient to modern history.
Day 3- The final day can be reserved for a refreshing retreat at one of the beaches in Udupi, be it Kodi Beach, or the Kapu Beach. You can also visit Shri Ananteshwar Temple & Shri Kundeshwar Temple.

Best time to Visit Udupi

Commuting within Udupi

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Udupi Reviews

7 months ago by Nehad Zein

Udupi is a district that features hundreds of temples and numerous beaches within its relatively short radius. The beaches are serene, frequently complemented by pink skies, especially during sunset and sunrise. The town of Udupi is well known for its cultural heritage, especially for how it has maintained its authenticity over the few years despite epic modernization happening just a few kilometers away in Manipal. Its contemporary, just like the cuisine which although primarily vegetarian is tantalizing for your taste-buds.

1 week ago by Muhammed Salih

Manipal is now known as a student's city as it is an education hub and provides everything a student might need. With Hill Stations and Beaches really nearby, it ups the ante for people to visit or just come to study. Agumbe Hill station is just an hour and a half away, most of the beaches are just 30 minutes away from the city.

Review for Manipal, Udupi

7 months ago by rinu antony

It was an amazing island. many peoples are coming over there even foreigners.visiting time from 9 am to 4 pm. boat rates 250 to 300 depends boats..nothing other entry fee to island. only snack food only available there in island..so u must fill your belly before getting into boat...haha...volcanic rocks are there and that's a beauty scene.....

Review for Malpe Beach, Udupi

7 months ago by Rudratandav N

Apart from the rocky beach, perfect for a game of hide & seek with friends and a great sunset with a date, Its too boring for a solo traveler to spend 300 bucks for boat ride to the island. The sea walk on the malpe beach is a much better option.

Review for St. Mary's Island, Udupi

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Holidify's Opinion

What's Great?

A beautiful confluence of history and culture.

What's not so Great?

Extremely congested in peak seasons. Politically volatile.

For Whom

Ideal for cultural seekers. Suitable for backpackers touring nearby sites like Bengaluru, Mysore etc.

Udupi Map

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How to Reach Udupi

Udupi is well connected to the rest of India by rail & road. Regular rail and bus services ply to and from the city of Udupi; buses being operated both by private and government owners. There i... (Read More)

From Bangalore

404 km

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From Hyderabad

822 km

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From Chennai

757 km

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From Goa

301 km

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